The Beckendorff family has sold 621 acres in the Katy area to a trio of investors who are betting that the value will go up as developers and builders scramble to assemble lots for home building. The land was purchased by John S. Beeson, John Stephen Ford Sr. and Steven A. Webster. See Deal of the Week here. (Beeson, a longtime Houston real estate developer, recently put in a high bid on a 10.5-acre parcel of land being sold by the city of Houston at West Dallas and McDuffie, but lost out to apartment developer Alliance Residential Co. The deal hinges on City Council approving the sale to someone other than the highest bidder. See story here.)

An undisclosed buyer purchased about 165 acres in Magnolia for residential development. The land is east of FM 2978 between Woodlands Parkway and FM 2920, off Dry Creek Drive just south of May Valley. Diana Gaines of The J. Beard Real Estate Co. has represented four of seven parcels sold in the land assemblage. Several of the parcels were owned by the Leslie Doughtie families since the 1840s. Last summer, Gaines also represented the sale of the nearby 501-acre Doughtie Parcel for the development of a 600-acre luxury master-planned community by Toll Brothers.

Matthew Herring, Chris Hutcheson and James Kadlick of McAlister Real Estate recently brokered the sale of 155 acres at the southeast corner of U.S. 59 and Kroesche Road in Rosenberg on behalf of the seller, Rockspring Capital. Bernie Fredregill of BW Development represented the buyer.

Martin Marietta Materials Real Estate Investments has purchased 133 acres fronting the Union Pacific Railroad and Loop 494 at New Caney in Montgomery County from Caney Properties. Martin Marietta, with its recent acquisition of Texas Industries, is now the largest aggregate supplier in the United States, with eight rail-served material yards in the Houston area. Franklin M. Denson of F.M. Denson & Co. represented the buyer. Click here for a Q&A with Denson on land by the rail lines.

Union Crossing Development has purchased an additional 104 acres from Wyman Gordon Forgings to expand its Union Crossing Industrial Park in northwest Houston. The deal brings the project at Telge Road and Northwest Lake Drive to more than 130 acres. Jeff Pittman with CBRE represented the buyer. John Littman with Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller.